Navajo Dress Halves
Name/Title
Navajo Dress HalvesEntry/Object ID
143/3630Description
CAT. SAYS INDIAN SKIRT THEN BLANKET/RED & BLACK BORDER/BLACK CENTER, LISTED AS A BAYETTA NAVAJO SKIRT PER KOHLBERG'S INVOICE, SEE BELOW. BAYETTA OR BAYETA WAS A RED WOOLEN FLANNEL CLOTH THAT WAS RAVELED AND USUALLY RESPUN. THE RED COLOR IN BAYETA USUALLY CAME FROM CARMINIC ACID DERIVED FROM THE MESOAMERICAN COCHINEAL BEETLE. RESEARCH NOTE: IN THE EARLY RESERVATION PERIOD (1868-1900) THE NAVAJO WERE ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT HAND SPUN WOOL YARNS WITH VARIOUS TRADE YARNS SUCH AS THOSE MADE IN GERMANTOWN, PA. THE YARN WAS SHIPPED VIA RAIL TO THE TRADING POSTS IN AZ & NM AND THEN TRADED OR SOLD TO THE WEAVERS ON THE RESERVATION.GERMANTOWN YARNS WERE USED AS THE WEFT OF THE BLANKET WITH THE EARLIER GT TRADE YARNS (1870-1874) BEING 3-PLY, AND THE LATER YEARS (1875-1910) WERE 4-PLY. IN RARE CASES, THE PLIES WERE TAKEN APART AND THE VERY FINE YARN WAS USED. OF FINE QUALITY AND WITH BRIGHT COLOR, THE GT YARNS YIELDED SOME OF THE MOST SKILLFUL AND DAZZLING BLANkETS OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY.Collection
NATIVE AMERICANMade/Created
Place
Continent
North AmericaEthnography
Cultural Region
Region
Four Corners RegionCountry
United States of AmericaCulture/Tribe
Navajo
Native American